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For Better or Worse: The Health Implications of Marriage Separation Due to Migration in Rural China

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  • Feinian Chen
  • Hui Liu
  • Kriti Vikram
  • Yu Guo

Abstract

Massive rural-to-urban migration in China has led to spatial separation of millions of married couples. In this article, we examine the question of whether the well-documented health benefits of marriage extend to left-behind individuals in rural China who are spatially separated from their spouses. Using longitudinal data that span 16 years (China Health and Nutrition Survey 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006), we compare the self-reported health trajectories of adults across different marital statuses while taking into account the physical location of their spouses. Our results suggest a clear health disadvantage of married individuals whose spouses are absent compared with those whose spouses are living in the same household. Further, longer spousal absence is more harmful to an individual’s health. Finally, spousal absence and longer physical separation from their spouses induce stronger health deficits for married men than for married women, suggesting that a gendered process is at work. Copyright Population Association of America 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Feinian Chen & Hui Liu & Kriti Vikram & Yu Guo, 2015. "For Better or Worse: The Health Implications of Marriage Separation Due to Migration in Rural China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1321-1343, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:52:y:2015:i:4:p:1321-1343
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-015-0399-9
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    3. Li-Chung Hu, 2021. "Marital Status and Self-Rated Health in China: A Longitudinal Analysis," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(3), pages 499-531, June.
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    6. Sun, Yu & You, Wen, 2018. "Health effects associated with marital status transition among elders in China," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274173, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Samantha B. Rawlings, 2015. "Parental education and child health: Evidence from an education reform in China," CINCH Working Paper Series 1511, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health, revised Aug 2015.
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    Keywords

    Marriage; Health; Migration; Gender; China;
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